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Transforming the Landscape

The bold 1961 decision to move Rochester Institute of Technology from a disjointed, small urban campus to sprawling suburban farmland, paved the way for the university’s expansive growth and global recognition: enrollment increased and new colleges and degree programs were established. Transforming the Landscape: Fifty Years on the New RIT Campus details the planning and construction of the modern campus coupled with an extensive photographic survey of its innovative architecture.

Overview

The bold 1961 decision to move Rochester Institute of Technology from a disjointed, small urban campus to sprawling suburban farmland, paved the way for the university’s expansive growth and global recognition: enrollment increased and new colleges and degree programs were established. Transforming the Landscape: Fifty Years on the New RIT Campus details the planning and construction of the modern campus coupled with an extensive photographic survey of its innovative architecture. Sarah Thompson’s essay offers insights to the planning of the new campus and the commitment to modernist architecture as representative of the institution’s future. More recent buildings to the campus are discussed in the context of the original 1968 plan. The profuse historical and contemporary photographs create a visual tour that documents the evolution and development of the modern campus into the 21st century.

About the Contributors

Becky Simmons (editor) is a co-author of Jeanette Klute: A Photographic Pioneer (2017), acontributing author of Frans Wildenhain, 1950 –1975 (2012), co-author of Past Meets Present: Recovering the History of Women at Rochester Institute of Technology, 1885–1945 (2009) and has authored entries related to amateur photography and photography journals for the Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Photography (2008). Becky manages the official records of the university as well as historical collections at RIT, including the RIT Archives, RIT/NTID Deaf Studies Archive, and the RIT Art Collection. She shares her knowledge with students through an Introduction to Archival Studies class taught through the Museum Studies program at RIT.

Sarah Thompson Ph.D. (essay) is an associate professor of art history in the School of Art at RIT. She is a specialist in architectural history who has published articles on Gothic design, the Gothic revival, and the historiography of style, and is writing a book analyzing post-medieval images of Gothic architecture. Thompson earned her doctorate in art history at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and came to RIT in 2005. She teaches courses on subjects ranging from the art and architecture of ancient Rome to modern architecture.

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In 2018, RIT celebrates 50 years at its modern campus in the town of Henrietta, NY. Under the leadership of Mark Ellingson, who served as RIT president for 33 years (1936 to 1969), RIT moved from downtown Rochester to the newly-built Henrietta campus in 1968. The university is celebrating this milestone with yearlong activities from July 2018 to June 2019.